1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a touch panel and mobile terminal including the same. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for determining an input signal be detecting a contact position.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a device which may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files and outputting music via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some terminals include additional functionality which supports game playing, while other terminals are also configured as multimedia players. More recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receive broadcast and multicast signals which permit viewing of contents, such as videos and television programs.
Generally, terminals can be classified into mobile terminals and stationary terminals according to a presence or non-presence of mobility. And, the mobile terminals can be further classified into handheld terminals and vehicle mount terminals according to availability for hand-carry.
There are ongoing efforts to support and increase the functionality of mobile terminals. Such efforts include software and hardware improvements, as well as changes and improvements in the structural components which form the mobile terminal.
Recently, a mobile terminal tends not to have a separate keyboard externally exposed irrespective of a use mode but to have a touchscreen including a touch panel playing a role as a keypad.
Such a touchscreen type does not use a such a separate input device as a keypad. If a finger or the like touches a specific position of a character, an icon or the like on a screen, the touched position is obtained and a corresponding specific function is then executed.
Generally, a capacitance type touch panel includes a plurality of polygonal touch panels formed of conductive substance. In particular, a plurality of the touch panels are electrically connected to one another in a specific direction to configure a pattern part. A plurality of the pattern parts construct a pattern array. The pattern array is arranged in horizontal and vertical directions to configure virtual coordinates.
The touch panel includes an active area for displaying a character, an icon and the like externally to detect a touch and an inactive area arranged along an edge of the active area to be non-transparently processed. A plurality of touch panels are provided to the active area to detect a touched position. And, a plurality of signal lines electrically connected to a plurality of the touch channels respectively are provided to the inactive area.
If the number of the touch panels gets incremented, the touch position can be detected more accurately. Yet, if so, the number of the signal lines connected to the touch panels respectively becomes incremented as well and a proper gap should be maintained between the signal lines adjacently arranged in the inactive area. Hence, a size of the inactive area increases. And, a quality of exterior is degraded.
Meanwhile, in order to reduce a width of the inactive area, the number of touch channels should be decremented. Hence, it is difficult to implement a large-scale display and an accurate touched position.